Mixed Game Festival VII Draws Bracelet Winners; Joe Santagata Wins NAPT Package

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Editor & Live Reporter U.S.
3 min read
Eli Elezra

The poker room at Resorts World Las Vegas once again transformed into a mixed game oasis this past week as Cardplayer Lifestyle hosted its seventh Mixed Game Festival from Feb. 25-29.

The Mixed Game Festival VII featured everything from a pizza party and trivia challenge to a Women's Wednesday and a $300 H.E.R.O.S. tournament that awarded a $3,000 PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) package to the winner.

PokerNews' own Chad Holloway, Matt Hansen and Connor Richards were in the mix over at Resorts World and got a glance of the popular poker festival that has drawn players from around the world. Here's a look at some of the highlights.

Read About the Previous Mixed Game Festival!

Mike Patrick & Joe Santagata Win Mixed Game Tournaments

The first tournament at the Mixed Game Festival VII was a $300 buy-in Omaha 8/Stud 8 event that drew 27 runners including four-time bracelet winner Kevin Gerhart and veteran poker live reporter Mike Patrick, who ended up shipping the event for $2,695 after a heads-up battle with John Rozance.

Later in the festival, the $300 H.E.R.O.S. Main Event drew 35 players on the hunt for the NAPT package. After 12 hours of play, Las Vegas local Joe Santagata defeated heads-up opponent Debi Cheek for $3,345 and the NAPT package valued at $3,000.

In addition to the $2,048 runner-up prize, Cheek won a yearlong membership to PokerCoaching.com.

Joe Santagata
Joe Santagata

Bracelet Winners at the Cash Tables

As always, the Mixed Game Festival included $4/$8 cash game tables where players could enjoy a low-stakes mix of games including Big O, Drawmaha, Double Board Omaha, Badacey, Super Stud and just about every other poker variant you could think of.

Mixed Game Plaques
Mixed Game Plaques

Click Here For Mixed Game Strategy!

On Day 3, Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra made his way to the low-stakes table and played a few hands off the stack of Cardplayer Lifestyle's Robbie Strazynski. It is not the five-time bracelet winner's first stop at one of the Mixed Game festivals hosted at Resorts World, where he can frequently be found playing $300/$600 in the high-stakes room.

Elezra wasn't the only bracelet winner at the mixed game tables as 2023 WSOP Big O champion Scott Abrams, two-time bracelet winner Nathan Gamble and 2013 Employees Event winner Holloway all found their seats throughout the week.

Those who attended Day 4 of the festival were treated to a Women's Wednesday class hosted by fellow Women in Poker Hall of Famers Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher. The class, a partnership with the Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS), started with an overview of Razz and Omaha 8 and moved to break out tables before a micro cash game practice session.

To read more about the Mixed Game Festival VII in Las Vegas, head on over to cardplayerlifestyle.com.

*Photos courtesy CardPlayer Lifestyle

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Editor & Live Reporter U.S.

Connor Richards is an Editor & Live Reporter for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for two Global Poker Awards for his writing.

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